


Skill Check

by Wheat From Chaff (wheatfromchaff)



Category: Borderlands (Video Games), Tales from the Borderlands - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, a bunch of nerds play tabletop rpgs, and then two of them kiss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-12
Updated: 2017-07-12
Packaged: 2018-12-01 06:18:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11480415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wheatfromchaff/pseuds/Wheat%20From%20Chaff
Summary: Rhys and Vaughn join a DnD club. Rhys crushes pretty hard on the handsome GM.





	Skill Check

**Author's Note:**

  * For [hurrypollo](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=hurrypollo).



> Another prompt from my tumblrrr: "tim rhys and dnd?"
> 
> For hurrypollo.tumblr.com.
> 
> All the games mentioned in this story are real and good. MonsterHearts is excellent and highly recommended by me, your friend.
> 
> Some content warning at the top: at one point in the story, someone gets drunk and a little sexually aggressive. Just FYI.

“So, did you all pick out your character skins?” their GM asked, smiling at each person around the table like they’d been friends since middle school.

Rhys stayed silent while the rest answered, silently trying to regain the mental footing he’d lost five minutes prior, when he laid eyes for the first time on the tabletop club’s GM.

This was all Vaughn’s fault. Let’s meet fellow dweebs, he’d said. Join this RPG nerd club, he’d said. It’ll be fun, he’d said.

Rhys, who’d spent his middle and high school years in a boarding school, practicing dressage, attending math clubs, and trying to remember the rules to water polo, agreed to his roommate’s proposal without thinking about it. He’d played DnD once with his nanny’s kids and their friends one summer, when a storm locked them all inside and they had nothing better to do. Rhys remembered enjoying it, even though Fi got their whole party killed when she whiffed a bluff check.

But Vaughn loved these games, and Rhys loved Vaughn, had loved him since they met during frosh and Vaughn stayed with Rhys the first time he ever got truly wasted, stood by him to hold his proverbial hair back while he recycled the night through his mouth.

It would be his turn soon, Rhys realised, while he sat there stupidly flustered and staring at the GM like he’d never seen a handsome man before.

But _damn_ , who could blame his gay little heart? A handsome man who ran a tabletop club in his spare time, who had ink stains on his freckled hands, who dressed like a soft butch, and had dimples when he smiled.

The GM turned that pleasant, cheerful smile onto Rhys and asked, “What about you, Rhys? What teen monster skin spoke to you?”

Was swamp monster an option? Rhys felt like he was sweating through his cardigan, that he’d developed spinach between his teeth, that he’d broken out all over his face, that he needed braces again. He resisted the urge to run to the bathroom to double-check his appearance in the mirror.

No. He was 20, not 14 again. Even if hot people made him think differently, sometimes.

Rhys straightened from his slump, calling upon the good posture his etiquette teachers had drilled into him years before.

“I was thinking I might be The Queen,” he said.

* * *

The GM’s name was Tim. Rhys talked to him on Facebook before they ever met in person. He had been at his computer, procrastinating on his reading, when he heard the _ding!_ from his speakers and saw that a person with a Pusheen avatar had sent him a message.

TL: hey!

TL: i just spoke w your friend Vaughn

TL: you guys want to join our group right?

Reeses Pieces: oh hey!

Reeses Pieces: yeah that’s us

Reeses Pieces: cute avatar

TL: we meet every other week on thurs in the ab

TL: ahaha thanks :3

TL: we’re gonna play monsterhearts

Reeses Pieces: i’ve never heard of that one

TL: it’s great esp for newbies

Reeses Pieces: ok

Reeses Pieces: my name’s rhys btw

TL: oh shit

TL: lol

TL: im an idiot sorry

TL: my name’s tim and i have poor social skills

Reeses Pieces: hi tim

TL: hello :DDD

Rhys tried to leave behind his bad habits from high school. He tried to avoid snap judgements, let people fill in their own blanks when he met them. But he’d only been out of high school for two years, and bad habits become habits for a reason.

Rhys figured Tim was a soft boy in every sense of the word, probably had some facial hair, maybe wore a leather cuff. Gay or maybe bi, but queer for sure. May or may not be involved with some kind of polygamous lifestyle with a couple.

* * *

A lot of Rhys’ judgements were wrong, of course. Tim might’ve been soft in some ways, but not in appearances. He looked like the sort of guy who might spend time at the gym. On a regular basis. He might _actually_ lift, bro. His rolled up jeans revealed his muscled calves. When he stripped out of his flannel shirt down to his unicorn tank top, Rhys was dismayed to learn he could give them all free tickets to the gun show. He kept his face clean-shaven. He did, at least, wear a leather watch cuff around one wrist.

God, Rhys really hoped he liked men.

He had a nice voice, too. Rhys tried to pay attention to the story, but he kept finding himself side-tracked by watching Tim gesture, or sit back and crossing his arms across his chest (god _damn_ that was a tight tank top. What size was that even, a _smedium_?), watching him smile or sulk, as he played their NPCs.

He was good at it, too. Rhys expected to find the whole thing cringe-worthy, playing make-believe in a bar, surrounded by strangers, but Tim made it seem natural to talk to him as if he were a biology teacher, or a kid on the yearbook committee, or a hall monitor. Rhys found himself engaged in a way he didn’t expect to be.

Rhys decided that it was in his character’s best interest that he seduce every single NPC. Starting with the biology teacher.

“I’m going to try flirting with Mr Clemmons,” he announced.

Tim nodded, making a note in his book. “Alright. Roll your Hot stat.”

Rhys selected one of the sparkly green and blue dice Vaughn had brought and rolled.

“Nice,” Vaughn said.

One of the other players, a blonde woman named Janey, nodded approvingly. “Seducing the teacher! Classic Queen Bee move.”

“So it is.” Tim smiled and folded his hands onto the table, and he was Mr Clemmons once again. Rhys could practically see the tortoiseshell frames of the glasses Tim wasn’t actually wearing. The sweater vest. A cool but nerdy teacher with good hair and a nice jawline.

“It’s always nice to see you, Liam,” ‘Mr Clemmons’ said. “What’s on your mind?”

Right. This was the game. You couldn’t just roll and call it a day. You had to act it out. Rhys took a long, silent breath. He could do this. Never mind that he’d been fantasizing about seducing his beautiful teachers since he hit puberty. _He could do this_.

Rhys leaned forward onto the table like he imagined limber Liam would, and looked at Tim through fluttering lashes.

Liam wouldn’t be intimidated. Liam was a Queen. Liam took ballet. Liam was an Instagram model. Liam ruled the school, and everyone knew it.

“Oh, it’s just my grades, Mr Clemmons.” Rhys sighed his name, like they were already in bed together. “I know they’ve slipped.”

“It’s unlike you, Liam.”

Rhys pouted. “I know. It’s just so much pressure. It’s just. Between school, and the school government, and ballet, and my contract with SlenderTea, it’s just getting to be a bit overwhelming.”

“Yes, I can understand that. But Liam, don’t you think you need to focus on what’s important?”

In Rhys’ theatre of the mind, he could picture handsome Mr Clemmons, with his expression of kind concern, the way he sat on the edge of his desk to seem more approachable to his students. Rhys—or Liam—wanted to show him how approachable he seemed.

Rhys bit his lip. “I can’t give up on my ballet. My teacher told me I’ve got amazing aptitude. He told me I’m very flexible.”

Janey and Vaughn giggled. The other player, a doll-faced woman named Athena, rolled her eyes.

“That’s always nice to hear,” not-Tim said, and was that just the faintest hint of nerves in his voice? But who wouldn’t be nervous, with lovely Liam looking at them like this?

“Thank you so much,” Rhys said.

Tim cleared his throat. “I understand that you’re busy, Liam. I’m sure we can make some arrangements. I know a few of your classmates like to tutor in their spare time. I could introduce you?”

Only if you were the one playing them, handsome. Rhys hid his smile. Eyes on the prize, Liam.

“I don’t know.” He sighed again, pouring adolescent misery into the exhale. “I know my parents would prefer I receive lessons from someone they know and already trust. Someone respectable.” Rhys tilted his head. “Would you be available for private lessons, Cole?”

Tim stopped, huffing. “Wait, is my character’s first name ‘Cole’?”

“Why not? What’s wrong with Cole?” Rhys asked.

“Nothing, nothing. Just an odd choice,” Tim said.

“Did you have a teacher named Cole in high school, by any chance, Rhys?” Janey asked.

He had, but he would sooner dig a hole to China with his bare hands than admit it. “I just like the name. Shall we continue?”

“Yeah, stop interrupting the seduction of Cole,” Vaughn said. Janey giggled again as she reached for her half-finished Irish Coffee.

“He called himself flexible,” she said, smacking the last of the foam from her lips. “Might as well’ve put his legs behind his head.”

“That’s the next move,” Rhys said, sipping from his second rum and coke.

Tim knocked the edge of his notebook against the table. “Alright, guys. Let’s continue.”

Did his face look a little pinker than it had before? Rhys smiled around his straw.

* * *

Rhys—or ‘Liam’—flirted with and subsequently seduced every single NPC like it was his sole mission in life. Shy girl Wendy, vice-prez of the year book club? Entranced. Hall monitor Steve with the braces? Smitten. Tough-as-nails cheerleader Lita? Enraptured. Star running back and golden boy Halen? Gone gone gone. Each one, head over heels and useless for Liam.

Rhys rolled true every time, his high stats carrying him to sexy victory.

And every time, Tim would turn just a little more pink. Someone could blame it on their drinks, but Tim stayed sober. He stuck to his iced tea and never took it on a trip to Long Island.

By the end of the three hour session, Rhys/Liam had quite the Hive, despite Janey’s Fae character’s (Amethyst O’Hara) best attempts to woo Lita and Halen away. Alcohol and sweet victory made Rhys’ blood sing. By the time they wrapped up for the night, he was beaming.

“I hope everyone enjoyed playing a CW teen drama,” Tim said as he packed up his notebook.

“I did! I always wanted to be a vampire,” Janey said.

“I liked being the werewolf. But if we play it again, I would try something else,” Athena said.

“Well, all of your characters survived,” Tim said as he stood up. “We could always run another story in this universe. Athena, we could make your werewolf into an NPC and have you play as a different skin…” He looked around the table, smiling shyly. “I mean, only if you’d all be interested in another round.”

“I would!” Rhys said, too far in his buzz to care about how eager he sounded. “I had a lot of fun,” he added, catching Tim’s eye.

“I can tell,” Athena muttered.

The flush Tim had managed to chase away came back in full force. He fiddled with the straps of his messenger bag as he spoke. “Good. Good. I’m glad, Rhys. I had hoped… I mean, I always want my players to enjoy themselves.”

“You’re a giver,” Rhys agreed, grinning as Tim turned redder.

* * *

They met up again two weeks after that to play another shot of MonsterHearts. Rhys reclaimed his role as Liam, warming up to it more quickly now that he had Liam’s motivation (seduce everyone to gain power) and voice (Marilyn Monroe as a teen boy in a YA novel) down.

A lot of drama happened. Janey’s vampire got involved with Athena’s fae, but only because he was being blackmailed by Vaughn’s witch, who was acting on Liam the Queen’s orders. Despite getting entangled in a bitter three-way power struggle, Rhys— _Liam_ still found time to hunt down fresh NPCs and pay visits to his old favourites.

“You—you’re going to roll to seduce Miss Hotchkiss?” Tim asked, lowering his pen.

“Why not?” Rhys asked as he picked up his favourite dice.

“She’s _50_. And she’s the secretary,” Tim said.

“Neither of those things would dissuade Liam. Age is but a number, and Miss Hotchkiss works hard, I bet. I bet it’s been a long time since anyone appreciated her. I’ll have Liam tell her that when I roll successfully.”

He rolled. It was successful. Tim stared at the dice. Rhys beamed at him.

Liam’s hive continued to flourish.

* * *

It wasn’t just MonsterHearts. The next time, they played Fiasco, which allowed Tim to play with them as a fellow PC instead of a GM. His character was a down on her luck former drug dealer, trying to turn her life around after doing time up in the state pen.

Rhys played her motivated co-worker, the one who sat beside her during their midnight shift at the telemarketing company. His Need was to seduce the former inmate. Tim stared at him across the table, looking flustered and confused. Rhys only smiled back, thoroughly enjoying himself.

The next meeting after that, they played Dungeon World and Rhys’ human Bard, named Brad, used his soothing voice and gentle lute playing to seduce the innskeeper, the goblin master, the vampire, and the vampire sorcerer.

“Why don’t you try your seduction techniques on the next giant spider we run into?” Athena suggested, her voice like a verbal eyeroll.

Rhys rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

“NO,” Tim said.

* * *

By the time October came around, Rhys had successfully gotten Tim into bed more than a hundred times. Admittedly, each time had been in the world of their imagination, but it still felt good. Especially when Tim blushed every time.

It wasn’t until after their fourth gaming session together that Rhys began to grow a little concerned.

“You don’t think I’m being creepy, do you, bro?” Rhys asked Vaughn.

Vaughn chewed the doughy cafeteria pizza thoughtfully. He was such a good friend, he didn’t even pretend to not know what Rhys was talking about.

“I don’t think so,” Vaughn said at last. “It’s pretty obvious you’re being playful. And I think if you were really creeping Tim out, he would’ve told you to knock it off by now.”

Rhys sank back in his wobbling plastic chair. “Thanks, man.”

“I mean, don’t get me wrong. It’s cute right now, but it’ll probably get creepy if you just keep it up indefinitely. Do you talk to him outside of the group at all?” Vaughn asked. Rhys frowned.

* * *

Rhys stared at his computer screen. He stared at the little green button beside Pusheen’s chubby body. Tim was online. Rhys’ hands hovered above the keyboard like carrion above the highway.

There were a million ways he could start this. Some of them were even good ways.

‘Hi, Tim.’ ‘hey lol’. ‘Hey Tim!’

‘I hope I don’t make you uncomfortable.’

‘I hope you don’t think I’m weird. Like a bad weird.’

‘I like you.’

‘Wanna get a drink or smth?’

It felt like it did in the game, sometimes. When Rhys’ character was about to do something stupid, or brave, or both, and he had to roll to pass a skill check. Right now, Rhys felt he was coming up against his courage. He could almost hear the dice clatter.

Rhys’ hands sank onto his desk. He sighed. One day, he would pass that check.

* * *

The next time Rhys saw Tim, it wasn’t planned.

Halloween hit the campus like a storm, but the kind of storm you hear about on the news long before it hits. Everyone had already stocked up on survival supplies. You could smell beer like the campus was soaked in it. Parties descended onto the Greek village like funnel clouds.

Rhys wasn’t a member of any frat, but he was a member of the engineering department, where a surprising number of frat bros enrolled, and he was hot enough to get invited to their parties. Especially when Rhys promised to come dressed as a kitty cat, an outfit that consisted of his tightest black v-neck, his tightest black jeans, a black collar with a silver bell he bought from the dollar store, and a pair of sparkly black kitty ears, also bought from the dollar store.

Vaughn joined him for the earlier parts of the night, like the best bro and wingman he was, but after a few drinks and after a pretty girl told Vaughn how much she liked his glasses, Rhys found himself alone. He sipped at the punch, a day-glo orange concoction that tasted like someone had soaked a bucket full of candy corn in a screwdriver, and lounged against the wall.

That was the trick. He wasn’t just _leaning_. Anyone could lean. Rhys lounged, like a rich lady in a Renaissance painting about ancient Rome. He arranged his beautiful, long legs just right, held his drink in one hand close to his chest, cast a long look across the living room, and waited. He knew he wouldn’t be alone for long.

He was right.

“I like your costume!”

“Thanks.” Rhys took in the newcomer. White boy, kind of cute, almost as tall as Rhys, but not as skinny. He the squarish head and high and tight haircut of a kid who probably watched a lot of MMA. Maybe he had muscles under his shiny vampire cloak. That could be interesting. He was also very definitely drunk.

“I love cats,” the boy gushed, his voice barely audible over the pounding music. He leaned into Rhys’ space. “I think they’re really sweet. Cute. You made a good choice. Where’s your tail?”

Too drunk, maybe. He rambled on as Rhys gave him a polite smile, thinking to himself that it could be worse.

And maybe the universe heard him, or maybe demons really did lurk close to the veil and they were looking to give someone a hard time, because almost as soon as he thought it, things became worse.

The stranger leaned right into Rhys’ personal space, until Rhys was hit with a combination of Old Spice bodywash and spilled beer. He put his hand on Rhys’ hip.

“Wanna dance?” He squeezed.

“Uh.” Rhys grabbed his wrist and removed his hand. “No thanks.”

“C’mon, don’t be like that.”

Where the hell was Vaughn? Rhys scanned the room, looking for a cute, short boy dressed as a mummy, but he found no one. Old Spice moved into his line of sight, crowding him against the wall.

“Whoa, hang on—“ Rhys stuck his hand out, putting a barrier between himself and the sweaty undergrad in the dollar store cape. God, why did this shit keep happening to him?

“C’mon,” he said again, as if this time Rhys would find his argument compelling. He pushed his face close to Rhys’. “Let’s just take a minute, okay? Let’s just—“

And then he was gone.

“Chris, man, what are you doing?”

Rhys blinked. Maybe the universe had decided to do him a solid. Maybe someone up there had taken pity on him. Maybe he’d earned this change of fortune through a past life’s worth of suffering.

Tim stood in front of him, with a pointy black hat sitting crooked on his head, his arm slung around the sweaty vampire’s shoulder.

“Chris, man, we talked about this. You can’t keep drinking like this. You get aggressive,” he said.

“I didn’t think I was that drunk,” Chris mumbled. He quailed under the look Tim gave him. ”… I’m sorry.”

“You want to assault someone? Because that’s where this story ends, if you don’t start getting your shit together.”

“Sorry…”

Tim sighed. “Don’t apologise to me, idiot.” He nodded to Rhys. “Apologise to my friend, here.”

Chris’ face had turned the colour of a rotting tomato. He looked like he might be ill as soon as he opened his mouth.

“Sorry, man,” he said, looking at Rhys’ feet.

Rhys didn’t know if it was okay or not. He awkwardly lifted one shoulder.

Tim gave Chris a shake. “Good. I appreciate you doing that, but I gotta kick you out, man,” Tim said. “I catch you pulling something like that again and I’m putting a word in with your academic supervisor and with campus security. Where’s Nisha?”

Rhys stared, mystified, as Tim summoned a beautiful woman dressed up as a cowgirl (a _sexy_ cowgirl, but the kind of sexy that suggested the bullwhip at her hip wasn’t just for show). She took Chris none-too-gently by the arm, threw Rhys a wink, and marched him out of there.

Tim’s chest heaved with a sigh Rhys couldn’t hear over the music. He shot Rhys a tired smile.

“You okay, Rhys?”

* * *

“So, are you, like, the chaperone here?” Rhys asked.

They’d gone outside, to the backyard where the music fell back to acceptable decibels and carved jack-o-lanterns leered at them from along the porch railing. There were a few people around a crackling fire down a stone path, and even fewer on the porch. Rhys could hear quiet laughter, and he could smell pot and cigarette smoke.

Tim settled beside Rhys on the wooden steps, pushing aside a poorly carved pumpkin. “Kind of. Me and Nish and a few others started this organization on campus to keep parties safe. We get funding from the school to attend parties, keep an eye out for trouble, and try to stop it before it can happen.” He tapped the shiny square button on his chest. “We’ve got an official name, but Jack calls us the ‘Squares’.”

“You’re so cool.” Rhys could’ve swooned. Tim laughed.

“Jesus, not really. I’m the biggest dork I know.”

“I don’t think so,” Rhys said, vehemently. “I think you’re awesome. I love the tabletop group. I think you’re a great story teller.” It was everything he’d wanted to say to Tim for the last three weeks.

Almost everything.

Tim was probably blushing, although it was hard to tell. He tried to laugh Rhys’ praise off again, but he sounded nervous.

“I’m really glad you enjoy the club, Rhys,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed having you. Um. Having you _there_ , I mean. I like… that.” He winced.

Rhys could feel it again. That skill check looming ahead. This was a chance. Rhys didn’t buy into fatalism, even if he did occasionally think the universe had it in for him, but he did recognize an opportunity when it came to him. He leaned close to Tim, the sound of dice rattling in his ears.

“I like it too,” he said. “I like it when I get you all flustered and cute. Do you always turn red when someone flirts with your characters, Tim?”

“Um. I don’t. I think, um…” Tim cleared his throat. He drummed his hands on his knees. “I don’t. Usually. It’s only when.” He glanced at Rhys. “Only when very beautiful people do it.” He sighed and dropped his head. “Shit. You can tell I’m not good at this.”

Alright, Rhys. Roll initiative.

Rhys cupped Tim’s face with his human hand, guided his head up, and kissed him.

Tim made a surprised noise against Rhys’ lips, but he didn’t pull away. After a split second, he began to kiss back.

Critical success!

* * *

“I thought you were just teasing me,” Tim said, much later as he walked Rhys back to his dorm. Vaughn had gone back with the pretty girl, whose name was Rose.

“I was teasing you,” Rhys said. He swung their joined hands between them, as happily exhausted as a kid coming home from Disneyland for the first time. “But I was also trying to express myself through roleplay.”

“And what were you trying to express, exactly?”

Rhys stole a quick kiss. “What do you think?”

Tim looked so pleased it was sickening. If Rhys had diabetes, he would need an insulin shot. He kissed him again.

“So, now that you’ve got another outlet for your… expression,” Tim said, as they resumed their walk. “Does that mean you’re going to stop playing the Casanova character? Only Athena’s been complaining about it.”

“She can complain all she likes.” He stopped them again, took Tim’s face with both hands and stared at him with a determined and serious expression. “Mark my words, Timothy. So long as we are playing on the same imaginary battleground, my player character will seduce any and all characters you play. This I vow.”

Tim stared at him, his cheeks squeezing a little under Rhys’ hands.

“I take it back,” he said. “ _You’re_ the biggest dork I know.”

Rhys nodded. “Don’t you ever forget it.”

**Author's Note:**

> i'm just going to write a million different stories of these two fuckos kissing for the first time. hope that's cool with y'all.
> 
> come and experience the magic on my tumblr nothingbutchaff.tumblr.com


End file.
